Sipping straws are commonly used to assist with beverage or ice drink consumption, when drinking from a glass, a cup or containers such as a bottle or a can. Specifically, when the drink is provided by a dispensing machine, many persons prefer to utilize straws for convenience and/or sanitary considerations. As a result, most commercial establishments make straws available to their consumers in order to satisfy their preferences. For example, sipping straws are available through mechanical dispensing devices such that an individual, merely by depressing a lever or turning a knob my effectively dispense a clean sipping straw for their consumption needs. An example of such mechanical dispensing device is provided by Roy William De Visser, in PCT application WO/2007/056814. Another John Merila example of a mechanical dispensing device is provided by Roy William in U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,787.
With regards to automatic dispensing machines, because such machines do not require an attendant be present, and are generally positioned outside or in a confined area, sipping straws are generally not made available. Accordingly, individuals receiving a beverage from an automatic dispenser are generally left to find their own straws.
Generally, most conventional sipping straw dispensing devices are manually actuated bins wherein an individual may pull/push on a lever or turn a knob in order to dispense a straw for their use. A consumer is able to take as many straws as they desire whenever they desire, and generally the bins are located on a counter top or other location such that an employee can ensure that the dispenser is not tampered with or unnecessarily emptied. Unfortunately, however, there is a substantial need in the art for a compact and conveniently useable dispensing assembly which can be implemented with an automatic beverage dispensing machine. Such a device should be able to fit conveniently within existing beverage dispensing machines without taking up substantial space, and be safe and efficient, ensuring that it cannot be un-necessarily emptied.
It is desirable that the device dispenses a single straw at a time and that the straws inside the bin do not clog and/or get stuck.
Attempts have been made in the past to develop automated dispensing machines to dispense sipping straws. U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,166, given to Yingst et al., discloses a sipping straw dispenser to be utilized with a vending machine.
There is a need, and it would be advantageous to have an automatic sipping straw dispensing device which can take up a relatively small space within an automatic dispensing machine, which is not prone to be clogged, and which repeatably dispenses a single straw to the consumer. Furthermore, such a device should be simple and inexpensive, and provide minimal risk of tampering with the straw.